Karen

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 245

November 12th, 2012 by Karen 50 Comments

You might be wondering, “So what the heck is this Monday Poll thing anyway?”

Well, it isn’t much of a poll. It’s more just a constantly evolving (devolving?), somewhat random list of questions I’ve been putting out to readers every Monday morning for the past four years. I’ve always enjoyed reading your answers in the comments, and I hope you enjoy reading mine.

Mood:
[YAWN] Head wobbly. Eyelids…heavy. Me talk not good. Me talk not good at all.

Must coffee… Yes, must coffee good jrjeklauio jaueisot uogvyio byp…

Oops, my bad! Passed out there for a second with my fingers on the keyboard.

Jeez, this coffee better kick in soon… 🙂

The Thanksgiving party is potluck. What dish are you bringing?
My (world famous) roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a peach and blueberry cobbler and a bottle of red wine (maybe a nice Rioja…or a Primitivo or Zinfandel).

What’s your limit for a commute?
Oh, I’ve had some long ones before. I feel like my limit is just about an hour, door to door. I start getting reeeally cranky when I cross that one-hour threshold.

FLASH: You wake up one morning and discover that suddenly you can do three things really well. What are they?
1. Manage my time. I become like a time management Jedi, able to juggle multiple projects without breaking a sweat.
2. Freestyle rapping.
  I become a polyglot freestyle rapper, able to spit beats in 10 of the world’s most popular languages…because you never know when/where you’ll be when someone challenges you to a street battle.
3. Pick winning lottery numbers.
  ‘Nuff said.
If your life were made into a movie, what film genre would it be?
A Bollywood musical, with dozens of costume changes and a HUGE dance finale.

Name an animal that reminds you of someone.
Elephants always remind me of El Hub.

(They’re his favorite animal.)

Something you fell in love with as a child/teen and still love today?
The movie Casablanca. I had the poster up on the walls in my room all through high school, and to this day it’s one of my all-time favorite flicks.

I love everything about it — the chemistry between Bogie and Bergman, the crisp, snappy dialogue. It’s filled with so many memorable moments for me. (“Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life.”)

FLASH: We’re at the MAC counter stocking up on standbys. What do you get?
A bottle of Fix+, a bottle of Cleanse Off Oil Tranquil (wait, make that two), a tube of Strobe Cream and a pan of Concrete Eyeshadow.

How long does it usually take you to really wake up in the morning?
Honestly, a good 90 minutes after the alarm sounds. That’s how long it usually takes me to feel like I’m firing on all my mental cylinders.

Really, it’s a miracle I’m able to walk and talk at all right after getting up.

Weekly goals:
This week I want to try a couple of new writing techniques I’ve been reading about — 1. challenging myself to only think about a single topic for a set amount of time, and 2. reducing my rules when I write.

Oh, and I intend to eat a spinach salad every single day…

No real reason why. Just somethin’ to do.

Morning! Guess who’s coffee just kicked in?!

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. I picked up these four-drawer carts at Target over the weekend…

Toot toot! Now boarding the train for Organize-a-ville.

I’m using one for beauty essentials (the things I reach for daily, like foundations, powders, concealers, hair styling products, stuff like that), and the other one for photography equipment.

“Meow?”

Oh, Tabs has a question for you… He’d like to know if you’ll fill out today’s Monday Poll. 🙂

To complete the Monday Poll, just copy the following list, and paste it with your answers in the comments.

Le List

1. Mood:
2. The Thanksgiving party is potluck. What dish are you bringing?
3. What’s your limit for a commute?
4. You wake up one morning and discover that suddenly you can do three things really well. What are they?
5. If your life were made into a movie, what film genre would it be?
6. Name an animal that reminds you of someone.
7. Something you fell in love with as a child/teen and still love today?
8. We’re at the MAC counter stocking up on standbys. What do you get?
9. How long does it usually take you to really wake up in the morning?
10. Weekly goals:

Now, fasten your safety belt, and return your tray table and seat back to the upright position. Your week of adventure and good fortune starts now.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 217

November 11th, 2012 by Karen 17 Comments

Crushed… Tabs was crushed when he found out that Brad Pitt beat him out for Chanel’s big new ad campaign for Chanel No. 5.

It just didn’t make any sense. Tabs had already done a very successful run of No. 5 print ads earlier this year for magazines (like the ad up top), so when he got the call from his agent last month that the Chanel people decided to “go a different route” this time, Tabs couldn’t believe his ears.

“Mrow!?” he barked on the phone to his agent (“Who got the job?”).

“Brad Pitt,” his agent replied.

Well, Tabs felt a little better when he heard that. After all, Brad Pitt is also a pretty big star.

In this business, you win some, you lose some. C’est la vie. 🙂

Even though Tabs lost the new Chanel campaign, he’s still been very busy. This week he had kitty modeling jobs for a bunch of big brands, including MAC, Tom Ford Beauty, EstÃ©e Lauder and Korres. If you’re interested, here are the pics (Tabs is very proud of these)…

Oh, and don’t forget to enter this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 eGift card from Sephora. You still have a few hours (closes at 11:59 p.m. PST), but you better act fast. Good luck!

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Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

November 11th, 2012 by Karen 8 Comments

She’s a Mystic

November 11th, 2012 by Karen 11 Comments

The new Senna Haute Nudes Eye & Face Palette in Mystic, $48. Find it at select salons, spas and sennacosmetics.com.

Outtakes

November 10th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

A few goofy Bond girl outtakes, including a side shot of the big hair!

Hope you’re having a nice weekend so far. 🙂

Two Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora!

November 10th, 2012 by Karen 437 Comments

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is blkrox! Congratulations, blkrox! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Greetings, fearless beauty lover! Welcome to another weekend. 🙂

So, painted walls. That’s been the highlight of my week. I finally — and I say finally as in FINALLY — made big progress on Project Dining Room. I am now the proud owner of Wythe Blue walls. Next up! — a dining room table, which I hope to have this week.

Yup, no more eating at a coffee table on the floor. I’ve been doing that a long, long time, and let me tell ya, it’s so played out…

In other news, Bond! James Bond. El Hub and I braved long lines and popcorn-related espionage last night to see Skyfall, and it’s right up there with Casino Royale as one of my favorite Bond movies of all time.

I hope you have a few minutes to unwind and recharge your batteries this weekend. In our fast-paced world, where we’re always multitasking, we have to try to find small blocks of time to take off our thinking caps and just veg out for a while. It’s important, you know?

Have a great, great weekend, and I’ll talk to you very soon. Good luck in this weekend’s $50 Sephora eGift card giveaway. Details to enter are just a few inches below.

Now, I’ve got a dining room table to find…

What folks are saying…

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, how do you wear your hair when you work out? What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever done? Do you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? What’s your favorite moisturizer of all time? How do you like your pizza? Jason Bourne or James Bond? — you get the idea.
Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
- Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/TyJkst

The deadline to enter is Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is blkrox! Congratulations, blkrox! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Haute Stuff

November 10th, 2012 by Karen 6 Comments

The new Senna Haute Nudes Eye & Face Palette in Sultry, $48. Find it at select salons, spas and sennacosmetics.com.

Oh, Joy! The China Glaze Holiday Joy Collection and Wythe Blue Walls

November 9th, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

Friend, if you look out your window and see pigs flying by, do not be alarmed, because after today, that’s entirely possible. Shoot, after today, almost anything’s possible!

You see, something miraculous happened here today at Casa de MBB.

Today the sad, lonely dining room that still sits empty after more than three years…

…received two new coats of paint!! 🙂

Yup, it’s really real this time. It actually happened. I have Wythe Blue walls!

Next stop, a dining room table (just like a real grownup)…

Oh, and the dining room wasn’t the only thing that got a new paint job here today. My paws also got one — or rather, a dozen — thanks to the 12 shades in the new China Glaze Holiday Joy collection.

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